Nobody is laughing much in a tumbling world economy. Revenues are down globally. Political unrest in the Middle East has the oil commodity markets in a nervous mess, and even the supposed leaders of manufacturing and innovation are looking at a shaky business future. Everybody needs a good laugh. So a good marketing strategy would a profit formula that goes like this. “Get funny to make money.”
During the Great Depression, the film industry did very well. Why? People needed an escape from the dreary condition of the stock market and the generally failed economy. A good, light hearted movie was a great way to forget about it for a few hours. Today, the most memorable ad campaigns are the ones who make us laugh. It doesn’t have to be a video driven campaign to get people’s attention. Print ads and even ad copy can put a smile on someone’s face. It’s about being creative with your humor.
Small business owners are not exempt from the humor formula. Ever go by a little retail business that has something funny on it’s marquee? You remember that place when you need what they sell. The impression is that it must be fun to shop there, and everyone needs to have a little fun. It’s the business owner’s responsibility to back up that smile with great and fun customer service. Even though you’re in the business of making money, you can also be in the business of giving away a good time. No matter how tight someone’s pocketbook gets, they will always be able to squeeze out a little fun money.
Try funny print ads. Place little tidbits of humor in classified papers, or online. Put a funny little flier on car windows, or try silly little mailers. Be creative. You don’t have to jump into the same things everyone else is doing. Find the marketing avenue that best matches your business, and have some fun making money.